Monday, September 19, 2011

After hearing through the grapevine that Ricki Lake was a huge PS22 Chorus fan, we decided to show her some support in turn on her latest endeavor as a Dancing With The Stars contestant! Her DWTS dance partner, Derek Hough, had started a theme song for their team, which Ricki tweeted last week, and at Friday's rehearsal, we decided to give them some help and finish it up for them.

So here it is, the long-awaited debut of the brand new PS22 Chorus of 2012 with its debut performance of the year, which we dedicate of course to Derek and Ricki, aka Team Drickilous! Pretty confident you'll agree that the new crew has personality and enthusiasm beyond the likes of which we've EVER seen before! And soloist Kevin shows he has only improved with age since winning our school's American Idol competition back in 2008, when he was only in first grade!

Definitely a fun way to start off the year...

FILMED BY: Ms. LisaEDITED BY: Mr. B

UPDATE: Thrilled to see that both Ricki and Derek tweeted (and retweeted respectively) some great responses to the 2012 kids' video debut!! We really appreciate them taking the time to send their love and gratitude on what we're sure must be an incredibly busy day for them with Dancing With The Stars debuting tonight! Check out the tweets below!

6 comments:

Awesome job :)....Mr. B...this is for both you and the kids...please pass it on to them if you can. I'm in my 4th year teaching music at a middle school in the deep south, and I restarted the choir at our school two years ago...it had faded out a number of years before I came. I was hired to start a keyboard lab, and started the choir because the kids and school needed it. I am NOT the typical choir director, and have struggled to find my groove--feeling like I "should" be doing a more traditional program--but knowing that it would lose the interest of both the kids and myself. I felt like the way to really launch this thing is to have music that the kids can jump in and relate to.

I reached a tough point the end of this past week--really struggling to figure out direction for the group and also for myself as the director. Somehow, while searching online for songs, I stumbled on PS22, and it was this huge breath of clarity for me. I'm 38 and not nearly as cool as you :), but I saw such a similarity between what you're doing and what I've started to do here--I was just stuck in wondering if I was doing the right thing for our program. Before hearing your stuff, I had looked last year at at doing some of the songs you guys have done, and was like "hmmm, I don't know...."

Suffice it to say that PS22 has been a huge validation for me. I saw my 6th graders in your group, and though we're half your size, they've got the same energy and passion. So, thanks for just being yourself. In doing that, you're helping people like me realize that it's ok to go with our heart and not follow the traditional music mold. I went into today's rehearsal armed with a new confidence in what I've wanted to do (thanks to you and your kids), and my 6th graders totally rocked it out. I may have to throw up a southern Youtube challenge in a month or two :).

All the best to you and PS22 this year. Keep doing what you're doing....I look forward to following you from a distance this year.

Tori Amos

"They were so good! Their arrangements -- their sound -- it was so good.... It was...... disarming. It means so much that they took it and made it their own."-- Tori Amos after a private performance by the PS22 Chorusof her songs at the Sony Atrium in N.Y.C.

Common

"I feel honored to perform with PS22. The energy brought me up to a natural high on music and art, and just the spirits of you all. You all are so exciting to perform with..... I'm gonna remember this day forever."--hip hop legendCommonon performing with the PS22 Chorus at the National Tree Lighting 2009 for President Obama

David Cook

"Oh my God! It's ridiculous... It is incredible how good you guys are!!"-- David Cook, American Idol winner, after singing with PS22 Chorus!

Bonnie Hunt

Innocence Mission

"What a beautiful, beautiful, joyful version. It is a huge improvement on the original. The children brought tears to my eyes with their glorious singing and smiles. I so love the energy of this performance, the arrangement, the harmonies, everything."-- Karen PerisofThe Innocence Missionin apersonal message to the PS22 Chorusafter seeing the kids' video of the song "There" from their album, GLOW

Tribute WTC

Wikipedia

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

IMPROVS

Improvising is a skill that really demands great natural musical ability, particularly to do it at 9 or 10 years old! All of the following songs were being created and recorded as you hear them here (with some minor post-editing). PS22 Chorus member JUSTIN, with occasional super-special guests including legendary PS22 Chorus Alumni CLIVE, DEON, BEN, ADIZA, KARIMA, BRI-AH, & AMANDA D., demonstrates the technique brilliantly.

Stevie Nicks

B.J. Novak

"My God! We watch you all the time at work, at The Office, all the actors, all the writers... You guys are amazing! I swear to you, you're an inspiration, keep it up!"-- B.J. Novak, star of The Office, raves about the PS22 Chorusat The Webby Awards!

Sinead O'Connor

"Most beautiful, joyous thing I seen apart from me own children ." -- Sinead O'Connorafter seeing the PS22 Chorus video of her song "Jackie!" PS22 was then invited to be the opening act for her concert at the Highline Ballroom in New York City.

Passion Pit

"These kids made the record what we had been dreaming it to be, as they are integral parts of three songs.... It felt so unbelievable to have the exact sound that I wanted coming through the headphones...."-- Michael Angelakosof Passion Pit on recording with the PS22 Chorus

Nancy Pelosi

"...You indeed, as you sing, 'rule the world!'"--Speaker of the HouseNancy Pelosiafter hearing the chorus sing at the Capitol